A group of us attempted to better understand what is meant by culture.  Isn’t culture tacitly agreed upon habits of behavior, norms of a common life, a form-of-life shared?  Expectations are built up gradually by observation and practice.  So much becomes “as if” instinct, imprinted habit.  I simply know how to act, and how others are likely to act in a social environment.

I expect that a hot cup of coffee will be served promptly in a Starbuck’s branded paper cup, handed to me by a skilled barista, who has learned the recipes on the Starbucks drink menu.  Is that Culture?  The term merits capitalization, don’t you think?  What does it mean to be a regular at the convivial Starbucks on State and 3rd Street in Geneva?  A set of behavioral habits, a style if you will? Of course.

In addition, Starbucks as a multinational stockholder corporation, is that what we mean by society?  I think of a corporate headquarters, of marketing department employees, of brand consultants, of middle management throughout the world.  I suppose this could be diagrammed as a military-like chain of command.  Is society nothing other than the constraints, the limits imposed by capitalism, the expectations, demands of “the market”?  Hard social constraints are many: families for mutual aid, income is taxed to pay for public administration, police and military are important for security.  I sense that capitalism is the beating heart of all our social institutions.  Would you agree?

With respect to hard constraints, ought we to include death?

Is society nothing other than the institutional rails upon which culture runs and also resists?

What do I know?  Can I say anything at all about such topics?

I think a tune is called for.  These lyrics continue to speak to, and arise from these times in which we live.  We Built This City (1985) by Starship.

Don’t you remember?  Who counts the money underneath the bar and rides a wrecking ball into our guitars…